Rushabh PatelThe pandemic has rendered lots of people and businesses in isolation, with traditional communication becoming very difficult. The coronavirus has changed communications forever, and we are obliged to resort to virtual mediums to get our jobs done. Social media apps have a huge role to play in this regard. Mobile apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook have experienced an enormous surge in their volume in the last few months. If there ever was a time to learn and invest in social media app development, it is now.
They provide a great link between humans and help them bridge the gap the pandemic has bestowed upon them. Entrepreneurs and developers must siege this opportunity and learn to create the best social media applications for themselves. This article here aims to inform them on the costs involved and the features to include in it.
What will users expect from a social media app development?
Getting the most out of a social media application is a mandatory ask for end-users. You can begin by looking at the business perspective of it. But at some point, you’ll have to prioritize it from the end user’s viewpoint. For instance, you’ll have to consider the problems that the application solves for the consumers. Check out if it achieves the objectives it set out to establish. Determine if a general user would want to install the application at first sight and why. We must remember that it is the content and functionality of mobile applications that make people download them.
Social media applications are quite straightforward in their functionality. End users expect seamless communicability through them. They would want features that enable them to share, liking and discovering useful content. Users also like to use the social media platform to gain attention, present a lucrative image, and attract others. On rare occasions, we find out that people have found love and intimacy through social media mobile apps.
Hence, there are a plethora of expectations that consumers can put forth on a social media app. It might not be possible to consider all of them and integrate individual features for the same, but one can surely include the best features to facilitate them.
Features you must include in your social media app development
The following features are some common ones that your social media mobile app cannot do without. These features can be integrated into multiple ways depending upon how you add them to the interface. You can add or modify these features in any way you deem fit. But one way or the other, they are indispensable for providing the optimum social media experience to your users.
1. Profile creation
Users will access the social media mobile apps through their profile which others can view, and the owner can edit. Users must be able to easily add and delete info from their profile and post content on them. This profile is what defines them on that particular social media platform. It is the virtual footprint of those particular users on the platform. The editing process must be a seamless experience for the end-users so that they do not refrain from it.
2. Account and authorization
Of course, social media accounts will grant access to the user’s personal profile. This account must hence be guarded by secure authorization. Only the user must have the credentials used to login to their profile. The complete authorization procedure must be hassle-free and quick. Slow loading authorization drives the users away from using the app further. Make sure they get easy and seamless access to their accounts while not compromising on its security.
3. Uploading images and videos
Social media platforms have essentially become a hub for posting content in the form of videos and images. Users share a glimpse of their daily lives or special events by uploading such content on their virtual platform. Your social media mobile application must provide this feature smoothly.
Furthermore, you could gain some brownie points if your app allows editing the content before uploading. Users generally edit their images as desired before uploading them. Including the edit feature in your app adds to the seamless operability of it.
4. Messaging
As mentioned earlier, social media has become an option for facilitating communication within the people. Apart from seeing posts, liking them, and commenting on them, users also need to establish one-to-one communication using this social media app. The messaging functionality is simply a no-brainer for developers. It is a very common aspect in all social media applications and is mandatory to meet the end-users requirements.
5. Search bar
Users will often need to search for a friend’s profile or any other random page on your app. Hence including a search functionality is also a given. It will enable users to search for businesses, people, and communities within your social media platform. This is also a very common facet observed in modern-day social media mobile applications.
Estimating the cost of development of social media apps
It is very difficult to set a certain amount of money for your social media app development. Nevertheless, considering the features we have mentioned above and the technology you will use for developing the mobile app, we have estimated the cost at around USD 45k to 50k. Let us have a look at the aspects that will significantly contribute to this cost estimation.
1. Technologies used
The technologies that your mobile app development company will resort to for building the mobile app will incur a cost of their own. For building the application and data handling, they will need to code in Java or Python. Moreover, they would require libraries and frameworks such as Django. Other requirements will be from the DevOps end, such as load balancing or server monitoring, requiring other technology stacks.
2. Promotion
After developing the app, you would need to promote it handsomely so that it achieves the download count you need. You will need to promote it for a few days prior to your app release and then a few months post it.
3. Feature integration
Integrating all the aforesaid and desired features to your social media app will also set you back by some dollars. The UI and UX implementation will cost you a few more. Although this is largely dependent on the social media development company, you are hiring for your job. If you develop the same on your own, then you might be able to save some more bucks.
Conclusion
Social media application development has reached newer heights, especially post-pandemic implications. This is the perfect time to learn the various aspects and develop a social media app of your own.
